Apparatus for the power adjustment or position setting of automotive seats are extremely well-known in the art. The power in many cases is supplied either by separate reversible motors, one for each movement or by clutch mechanisms driven by a single reversible motor. The apparatus of the present invention may be powered by any of the cited drive motor arrangements, with the drive motor or motors supported unitarily on a single platform or joined together in any well-known fashion.
To provide the drive from the motor or motors to the output mechanisms, various types of mechanical mechanisms and linkages are used. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,303 to J. Pickles dated Apr. 8, 1969 a rack and pinion mechanism is driven by flexible cable members to produce the horizontal movement. Worm and threaded shaft engagement are frequently used to produce both vertical movements from the respective drive members. Other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,961,032 issued Nov. 22, 1960 to Ferro Mfg. disclose similar structures. U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,812 issued Apr. 5, 1977 M. O. Heesch shows a typical structure for a seat mechanism of a more recent date.
Where the motor is attached to the drive side by the use of a platform, the opposite side of the motor is unsupported and free to vibrate. During shipping and assembly in the car, the power seat adjuster is subjected to many shocks and vibrations. The vibrations may cause the slave side flexible shaft to become dislodged, thus, rendering the power seat adjuster assembly fully or partially inoperable. In the known art, support has been provided by the use of additional brackets attached with screws and rivets. Assembly of such brackets is difficult and these platforms or brackets add considerable weight. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,812 to M. O. Heesch dated Apr. 5, 1977 for the use of heavy bracing structure for both sides of the motor mount. Tolerance buildup within the seat adjuster assembly is extremely difficult to absorb with the bracket method of assembly. Problems further may be created by using a short bracket with a wide tolerance of width controlling parts leading to the need for high torque on the mounting screw. The torque creates undue stress within the assembly and does not allow the adjuster to operate within the time limits prescribed by auto manufacturer specifications. Economic and weight considerations do not allow for the addition of a second bracket or adding enough extra material to the existing bracket to stabilize the slave side of the motor.